Technical Field
The present invention relates to aircraft engine spinners and, more particularly, to shape and size of the spinners.
Background Information
A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustor section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and a fan in the fan section. The compressor section typically includes low and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low and high pressure turbines.
The fan section includes an inlet which in part may be formed by a nacelle surrounding the fan section and leads to a fan in the fan section. Jet engine operations in crosswinds and at high angles of attack can be significantly restricted by fan blade aeromechanics and operability limits. Airframers seek to minimize or eliminate such engine operational restrictions in order to prevent having to impose aircraft operational limits. Conventional methods of improving inlet performance in crosswinds or at high angles of attack have involved shape changes to the inlet geometry. Such changes often negatively affect the performance at other critical operating points, such as cruise. It is, thus, highly desirable to improve inlet performance in crosswinds without substantially negatively affecting cruise performance.